Alameda Yacht Group Gets Top Honors

On May 1, the Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association gave the honor of the Best Decorated Sailboat to Jabberwock, owned by David Hand, rear commodore of Alameda’s Island Yacht Club — for “Humphrey Returns.”

“Our club works really hard every year on our parade boat, and this year was no exception!” said IYC Commodore Dave Block. “We’re pleased and proud to have won first place in our division this year.”

The crew that designed and worked on the boat included project manager Thom Mantooth, designer/builder Glen Krawiec, Nancy Hird, Speranza Avram and Commodore Bloch.

“A huge thanks go out to all who worked on building (and dismantling) Humphrey,” said members of the Island Yacht Club. “Besides the folks above, major kudos and thanks to Sandra Paz, our artist-in-residence who painted the whale on the large carpet remnants provided by Glen. David Shea was on hand much of Saturday helping to hoist the pieces of Humphrey aboard the boat, John New unexpectedly returned from the Vallejo trip and put his back into the task as well.”

(The mounting of this huge “whale sail” was made much more difficult by the 15-plus knot winds blowing broadside across Jabberwock as Glen went up the ladder and IYC members hoisted and held the pieces, and the ladder, in place.)

In 1985, Humphrey, a humpback whale traveled up the Sacramento River and swam into a slough in Rio Vista. He went back to sea after 25 days.

In the fall of 1990, Humphrey turned up again inside the Bay near the Bayshore Freeway. He beached himself on mud flats near Double Rock, near the Candlestick parking lot — where he remained stuck for 25 hours. Volunteers and members of the Coast Guard boat were able to set him free.